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I've been blonde my entire life but never really paid much attention to toning or brightening the color that I have. Over the years, my hair has gotten darker, so I have been coloring it a lighter blonde for quite some time now. My roots do tend to go brassy faster than I would like in between touch-ups, so maybe toning isn't such an inconvenient idea.

I was sent two samples of the Kenra Brightening Treatment Intense Violet Toning Masque for review from Influenster. Immediately, I noticed how dark the color of the mask is. The package says "Intense," and it's not kidding. The product is dark purples and has a pleasant coconut scent. I use this mask once a week (1-2 times a week is suggested) and leave it on for 3-5 minutes after I've shampooed my hair. The directions say to focus on the roots and work your way down, and that's what I tried to do each time. If your hair is anything like mine, then most of the brassiness will be towards the roots.

I noticed a huge difference after the first use. My blonde was much brighter. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be able to tell much of a difference, but I really did! The picture below is from the second time I used it. I still noticed a difference, but it wasn't as drastic as the first use. I seem to get the most benefit from this mask by using it once a week rather than twice a week.

I was sent two 1 fl. oz (29 mL) samples of the Kenra Brightening Treatment Intense Violet Toning Masque, and I was able to get 4 uses out of each of them and still use a generous amount. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to sample this brightening treatment and am very pleased with how it performed. I do plan on buying a full size of this in the future.Do you use any kind of brightening treatment or toning mask in your hair care routine?

Product was sent for review. Regardless, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hey, everyone! I'm back again with another review! I got the delightful Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette for Christmas, and I've enjoyed it so much that I thought I would do a review. I love Laura Mercier's eyeshadows and have a few of the singles, including African Violet, and they are some of my most-used shadows. Typically, I wouldn't be too thrilled having an extra, but in this case, I don't mind at all.

As you can see, the lighter shades blend right on into my skin tone. Most of these are pigmented, but I wish Guava showed up a bit better. It tends to blend out into almost nothing. The luster shades, African Violet and Bamboo, are my favorites to wear on their own for a one color blend-it-out-and-go type of look. The matte shades are pigmented and blend well. I haven't had any fallout with these either, even when I have used Violet Ink and Espresso Bean as liners.

Here are a couple of eyeshadow looks I've worn using this palette. I love purples and neutrals, so it has been easy for me to pick up this palette and play with it.

Bamboo on lid, Fresco blended out in crease,
Vanilla Nuts under brows, Espresso Bean used as liner

Overall, I'm really pleased with this palette. I appreciate that 6 of the 12 shades are matte. These colors are practical without becoming boring, and there's a nice mix of cool and warm tones. My main complaint is with the shade, Guava. I understand why it was included, but it's not pigmented enough to be useful. I wish they would have used a matte soft pink instead.